August groundbreaking scheduled for new Calaveras County jail project

A consulting team led by architectural/engineering firm PSA-Dewberry, which specializes in corrections and criminal justice facilities, has been selected by Calaveras County to design a new 240-bed jail to replace an aging and chronically overcrowded facility built in 1963.

The $43-million facility in San Andreas will relieve crowding and enable the county to expand its drug treatment and educational programs.

The complex consists of three buildings—a 73,000-sq-ft jail and a 14,000-sq-ft dormitory, which will be co-located with a 39,000-sq-ft sheriff’s administration facility.

The new direct supervision jail will include educational, training, and counseling spaces and video visitation technology. The new sheriff’s facility will house the county’s emergency operations center and 911 communications center as well as a large community room.

Fairfax, Va.-based PSA-Dewberry is providing architecture, interior design, and security technology services. Project team members also include RBF Consulting of Sacramento for civil engineering, New York-based Alfa Tech Cambridge Group for mechanical/electrical engineering, Buehler & Buehler of Sacramento and Roseville for structural engineering, Salinas-based Jeff Fetter Associates for food service design and Columbia, S.C.-based Chinn Planning, Inc. for programming.

Kitchell is the construction manager on the project. Bids will open for a general contractor in late spring or early summer, with construction anticipated to begin in August. Completion is scheduled for September 2012.

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